Man portable air defense systems (MANPADS) as well as other anti-aircraft missile systems are becoming an increasingly prominent threat to large aircraft, both in the commercial transportation market and other large aircraft operations. To counteract these threats, self Defense Systems have been placed on several aircraft configurations with the missile warning sensors spread out at the extremities of the aircraft body. Typically for large aircraft there are two sensors in the front, typically mounted under the chin of the fuselage, two in the tail and one in the belly to obtain necessary field of view. Self defense for such aircraft employs laser and flare system to defeat a missile threat detected by the sensors. In exemplary systems a single laser is used in the tail section of the aircraft combined with the use flares to improve effectiveness. Aircraft with multiple lasers typically have one or two in the tail and others positioned either on the sides or belly of the aircraft.
The installation complexity created by requiring multiple positions on the aircraft for sensors and lasers is exacerbated in large aircraft, particularly aircraft derived from commercial base platforms where significant modification must be accomplished at each of the sensor or component locations particularly in view of the pressurization requirements for such aircraft. Additionally, mounting of sensors under the chin of the aircraft creates aerodynamic issues including noise generation. Pods or external fairings mounted to the belly of the aircraft containing all the components have been proposed, but pods for many large aircraft application are less effective and more expensive than integrated systems and may affect aircraft performance. Additionally, wheels up landing issues are associated with a belly mounted pod or external fairing.
It is therefore desirable to simplify and integrate sensor and laser self defense systems in a common package. It is also desirable to provide a self defense system with reduced weight and simplified pressurization issues by locating the equipment in the un-pressurized section of the aircraft. It is also desirable to provide a system which eliminates aerodynamic noise associated with chin mounted sensors.